Orzo Salad

By Lidey Heuck

Published May 28, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes, plus 20 minutes’ cooling
Rating
5(4,116)
Comments
Read comments

This colorful, Mediterranean-inspired orzo salad is a crowd-pleasing side dish for a picnic or potluck, and can be a satisfying, vegetable-packed lunch. The trick to a flavorful pasta salad is adding the dressing while the pasta is hot, so it can soak up plenty of flavor as it cools. This recipe takes that method a step further by tossing the hot orzo and dressing with the chickpeas, tomatoes and olives, giving the ingredients ample time to marinate. If olives aren’t your thing, try adding diced roasted red peppers or marinated artichokes for a burst of briny flavor in each bite. If preparing for a larger gathering, this recipe doubles easily, and leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, making it a good choice for meal prepping. 

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • Salt

  • 1 ½ cups orzo

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

  • 1 medium garlic clove, grated or minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • Black pepper

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed

  • ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

  • 6 ounces feta, crumbled or diced ½-inch (about 1 ½ cups)

  • ½ English cucumber, diced ½-inch (about 1 ½ cups)

  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, dill or mint (or a combination)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

32 grams carbs; 25 milligrams cholesterol; 368 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 519 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

  2. Step 2

    While the orzo cooks, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, red onion, garlic, oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; whisk vigorously until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Pour about half the dressing over the hot orzo, then add the tomatoes, chickpeas and olives; toss well. Set aside to bring to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Add the feta, cucumbers and herbs along with the remaining dressing. Toss, taste for seasoning and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,116 user ratings
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Comments

Caroline

I make a variation of this often (weekly in the summer!) and it’s a crowd pleaser. To enhance the flavor, I either roast or burst the tomatoes with extra garlic than the recipe calls for. Mixing it in when the orzo is still hot infuses the flavor nicely. For a more Italian bend, I use fresh basil and mozzarella pearls (instead of feta). Yum!

Ellen

Please don’t cook the orzo until it is soft. Make sure it is truly al dente, otherwise, adding the dressing to the hot pasta will just ensure that it is mushy with zero bite at all.

ScrarchCook

I sauté 1/2 C of the Orzo to a light brown color before cooking it with the rest of the Orzo. Gives a nice look and slightly nutty taste to the salad. I start out with 1/3 C of EVOO and add more as needed to the dressing. No other changes. Great other kind of pasta salad.

Mama In Montpelier

I am making this for a potluck tomorrow -- should I wait to add the herbs until serving or let them marinate all together overnight?

Siamack Sioshansi

Delicious as written. Thank you

K.D.

We love this salad and make it all summer! The only change I make is to roast the chickpeas.

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